HE has welcomed some of the world’s greatest cricketers to Hampshire, but tomorrow night it will be Rod Bransgrove’s turn to take centre stage.

Having just completed the Ageas Bowl’s bid for 2017-19 major matches, including an Ashes Test five years hence, the Hampshire Cricket chairman is relaxing into his alter ego – the rock star he always wanted to be.

Strapped for Cash, the six-man pop rock band for whom Bransgrove plays the acoustic guitar, officially launch their debut EP tomorrow.

Kick Me When I’m Down is already available on iTunes. Now Strapped for Cash are preparing to follow the eclectic mix of Oasis, Billy Joel, The Who, REM, Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow by performing at The Ageas Bowl.

Two of Bransgrove’s sporting heroes, David Gower and Matt Le Tissier, will be among the audience at the official launch of Kick Me When I’m Down in the Ageas Bowl atrium.

Like the band’s eponymous first single, released last year, Kick Me Down was penned by Bransgrove.

“I’ve always been interested in lyrics, I wrote songs when I was younger and, like Strapped for Cash This Christmas, this is an ironic song,” he says.

“It looks at life, in this case what can happen when a relationship goes wrong.”

Bransgrove’s interest in music began as a teenager growing up in Kent during the Sixties.

“The Beatles made a definite impression on me,” he says. “One reason why Kick Me When I’m Down is an EP is because they were all I could aspire to as a boy – I couldn’t afford albums!

“My first record was almost certainly an early Beatles EP featuring Love, Love Me Do and Please Please Me.

“Pink Floyd were very influential, so were the Eagles and at the same time, of course, there was David Bowie.”

Strapped for Cash is the first band 64 year-old Bransgrove has played in since the early Seventies.

“As a teenager and in my early twenties I played in a band on my folk guitar in folk clubs, but then my business life took over,” he explains.

“It’s only really in the last five or six years that I’ve started playing again. As a band, we’ve been going for 18 months.

“It began by hanging out and playing together, then we started doing gigs and parties and it’s grown from there.”

Bransgrove plays under the moniker Bestie Rote alongside drummer Chris Pope, keyboardist Sean McMenemy (son of Lawrie), bass guitarist Solly Read and vocalist Malc Eyers from the soul band Rufus Stone, and lead guitarist Tim Payne.

“At first I wasn’t quite sure how the Hampshire Cricket public would take to it, so I went under a different name and it’s stuck!

“We’ve all got different stage names. Chris is a natural worrier so we call him Will Fret!”

Bransgrove is as busy as ever as the Ageas Bowl hotel nears completion, but Strapped for Cash has been the perfect antidote to the stresses and strains of chairmanship.

“It’s very good for me, it’s therapeutic and good downtime,” he says. “Some people love to play golf, I prefer to play in a rock band.”

Rehearsals take place in the pool house at Bransgrove’s Edwardian home on the edge of the Test Valley.

“We carve out a few hours when we can and really enjoy rehearsals. There are some very humorous people in the band and we also tend to enjoy a few glasses of wine.

"We occasionally try to create the impression of the Eagles but we can adapt different styles from the Seventies and Eighties and more recent pop. We take on anything – we’ve just played Mr Blue Sky by ELO.”

Recording takes place at Aubitt Studios in Swaythling.

“We’re quite meticulous,” continues Bransgrove. “Being a type A individual, I like to set high standards so my professionalism comes out. But I have to work hard at it. The others are all very capable musicians, the best in the area. I’m the third-best guitarist in the group!”

Tickets are still available for tomorrow night’s concert, which begins at 9pm. They are available for £10 online, over the phone (0844 847 1863) or in person at the Ageas Bowl ticket office.

Kick Me When I’m Down CDs will be available for £5. Proceeds go the the charity Hampshire Cricket in the Community.